Getting Lines of Dialogue To Show Up Only At The Right Times

[Dollarluigi]

I've been using Ren'Py for a little bit for the my current (as well as first VN project), and every now and then I run into some issues. A few I've already cleared up. One I'd like to mention though, is I'm having a bit of difficulty having the game's script flow the way I want it. I'll explain as best as I can. Anyways, a lot of VNs I've played, will have text that the player will go trough no matter what choices they've made. What I really don't know at the moment is how to make that work.

For example, the player enters one route and then there are lines of dialogue they must go through no matter what choices they've made. Next, there's getting only certain lines of dialogue to show up at later points, but only when certain choices are made. So pretty much what I'm saying is that I can't figure out a way to get certain lines of dialogue to show up only when I want it to, as well as have certain lines still be there and not disrupt the flow of whatever route the player may be on. I hope this makes sense.

[NocturneLight]

I've been using Ren'Py for a little bit for the my current (as well as first VN project), and every now and then I run into some issues. A few I've already cleared up. One I'd like to mention though, is I'm having a bit of difficulty having the game's script flow the way I want it. I'll explain as best as I can. Anyways, a lot of VNs I've played, will have text that the player will go trough no matter what choices they've made. What I really don't know at the moment is how to make that work.

For example, the player enters one route and then there are lines of dialogue they must go through no matter what choices they've made. Next, there's getting only certain lines of dialogue to show up at later points, but only when certain choices are made. So pretty much what I'm saying is that I can't figure out a way to get certain lines of dialogue to show up only when I want it to, as well as have certain lines still be there and not disrupt the flow of whatever route the player may be on. I hope this makes sense.

If you want text to only appear at certain times, you'd do something like this:

Code: Select all

label start:
    ## Show a background. This uses a placeholder by default, but you can add a
    ## file (named either "bg room.png" or "bg room.jpg") to the images
    ## directory to show it.
    
    scene bg room

    ## This shows a character sprite. A placeholder is used, but you can replace
    ## it by adding a file named "eileen happy.png" to the images directory.
 
    show eileen happy

    ## These display lines of dialogue.

    "Hello, world."

    "You've created a new Ren'Py game."

    "Once you add a story, pictures, and music, you can release it to the world!"
    
    if Lock1Unlocked == True and Lock2Unlocked == True and Lock3Unlocked == True:
        e "You unlocked the super secret dialogue!"
        
    "Blah, blah, blah."
    ## This ends the game.
    return

As for the not disrupting the flow part, as far as I'm aware, that will have to depend on your writing skills.

[Dollarluigi]

So, what would I have to do to make Lock1Unlocked true or false?

[NocturneLight]

So, what would I have to do to make Lock1Unlocked true or false?

That depends. I figure you want to get to the exclusive text through menu choices.


So I imagine you could do this:

Code: Select all

menu:
    "Choice1":
        $ ClareAffectionCount += 1
    "Choice2":
        $ HarunaAffectionCount += 1
    
    if ClareAffection == 5:
        $ Lock1Unlocked = True
    elif HarunaAffection == 5:
        $ Lock2Unlocked = True

[Dollarluigi]

It's not working for me. I keep getting an error whenever I test the project.

[NocturneLight]

It's not working for me. I keep getting an error whenever I test the project.

What's the error? And are you defining the variables before using them?

For example:

Code: Select all

default ClareAffectionCount = 0

You have to define every single variable you use before using it. From Lock1Unlocked all the way to ClareAffectionCount.

Also, the error may or may not be because my if statement was supposed to be:

Code: Select all

if ClareAffectionCount == 5:
    $ Lock1Unlocked = True
elif HarunaAffectionCount == 5:
    $ Lock2Unlocked = True

and not:

Code: Select all

if ClareAffection == 5:
    $ Lock1Unlocked = True
elif HarunaAffection == 5:
    $ Lock2Unlocked = True

[Dollarluigi]

The error is "if statement expects a non-empty block."

[NocturneLight]

The error is "if statement expects a non-empty block."

The tabs are probably off then.

Under the if statement, the line has to be 4 spaces ahead.


It'll look like this:

Code: Select all

if ClareAffectionCount == 1:
    $ Lock1Unlocked = True

[Dollarluigi]

Okay, I've got it to direct to that text, but I can't seem to get it to refrain from displaying that text when the opposite choice is chosen.

[trooper6]

Show your code.

In between the [ code] and [ /code] tags...without the extra space. So we can see what you are doing.

[NocturneLight]

Okay, I've got it to direct to that text, but I can't seem to get it to refrain from displaying that text when the opposite choice is chosen.

By "that" text you mean:

Code: Select all

if Lock1Unlocked == True and Lock2Unlocked == True and Lock3Unlocked == True:
        e "You unlocked the super secret dialogue!"

Correct?

If it keeps showing "You unlocked the super secret dialogue!", then perhaps you defined all three locks as True instead of False?

And yes. I want to see the code too.

[Dollarluigi]

I've actually only set two variables so far: Lock1Unlocked and FCount

Anyways, here's the code. The dialogue's been changed because I'm usually very secretive about my work.

Code: Select all

menu:

        c "Dialogue"

        "Option 1":
            $ FCount += 1
            
            jump choice1

        "Option 2":

            jump choice2

label choice1:

     "Dialogue"
     c "Dialogue"

     jump fstart

label choice2:

    c "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue."

    jump choice_end
    
label choice_end:         

    "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"

    if FCount = 0:
        
        $ Lock1Unlocked = False
        
        jump notonfroute
    
    if FCount == 1:
        
        $ Lock1Unlocked = True
    
    c "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"
    
jump start

label notonfroute:

    c "Dialogue"

[NocturneLight]

I can understand being secretive. We wouldn't want our next Grand Epic of a story to get leaked to the world before it's finished.

Right off the bat, I can tell you:

Code: Select all

if FCount = 0:
        
        $ Lock1Unlocked = False
        
        jump notonfroute

should be:

Code: Select all

if FCount == 0:
        
        $ Lock1Unlocked = False
        
        jump notonfroute

Do you still get an error after that?

[trooper6]

You indentation is not correct. You did not define your variables at the start of the game. You has a mistake in one of your if statements. It should look more like this:

Code: Select all

# Declare characters used by this game.
define e = Character('Eileen', color="#c8ffc8")

default FCount = 0

# The game starts here.
label start:
    c "Dialogue"

    menu:
        "Option 1":
            $ FCount += 1
            jump choice1
        "Option 2":
            jump choice2

label choice1:
    "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    jump fstart

label choice2:
    c "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue."
    jump choice_end

label choice_end: 
    "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"

    if FCount == 0: #Note this is a douple == not a single =
        $ Lock1Unlocked = False
        jump notonfroute
    else FCount == 1:
        $ Lock1Unlocked = True

    c "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    f "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    c "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"
    "Dialogue"

    jump start

label notonfroute:

    c "Dialogue"

But I still don't think this code it optimal. However, I can't really guess how to make it better without some sort of better idea what is going on here. You can make fake dialogue so that we can see what is supposed to be happening in terms of flow.

[Dollarluigi]

Thanks. It works now.